"World as myth" Gets Another Spin

[Yisroel Markov]

John Scalzi's "Redshirts", published 2012, nominated for the Locus
Award for best SF novel.
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/05/08/redshirts-a-finalist-for-the-locus-award-for-best-science-fiction-novel/

I just read it and it's pretty good, even if predictable.
--
Yisroel "Godwrestler Warriorson" Markov - Boston, MA Member
www.reason.com -- for a sober analysis of the world DNRC
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"Judge, and be prepared to be judged" -- Ayn Rand

[lal_truckee]

On 5/17/13 7:04 AM, Yisroel Markov wrote:
> John Scalzi's "Redshirts", published 2012, nominated for the Locus
> Award for best SF novel.
> http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/05/08/redshirts-a-finalist-for-the-locus-award-for-best-science-fiction-novel/
>
> I just read it and it's pretty good, even if predictable.

I thought he managed a clever variation on the otherwise predictable
Star Trek - Red Shirt - Expendable trope and followed it to some
unexpected but logical conclusions, with a good deal of humor along the way.

Good, lightweight, witty, old fashioned SF.

[MajorOz]

Reviews on Amazon and elsewhere are the usual whiny, bitchy, yuppie larvae shit, squealing for "character development", which The Master and others of the Golden Age see as padding or "pay by the word".

Apparently, today's purchaser of the drek that passes for SF, are interested in the soap opera approach ..... a la David Weber -- who writes a fair to middlin' 150 page novel crammed into 800 pages.

Scalzi illustrated his faithfulness in OMW by a section in which:

1. The planners outlined a strategy, discussed tactics, and set a date for an attack.

2. The next paragraph (in the following chapter) began the attack.

Weber, Spider, and most modern writers, would have inserted at least 80 pages of boring, unrelated, but highly emotive, SHIT between 1 and 2.